Grapevine plant named ‘ARD44’

ABSTRACT

A new distinct variety of grapevine plant named ‘ARD44’ abundantly forms attractive crunchy seedless berries with a green skin coloration, medium density and medium clusters which display a Muscat flavor which is commonly ready for harvesting during July in San Joaquin Valley of Central California, U.S.A., and displays good eating qualities as a table grape having a firmness that renders the fruit well amenable for handling, shipping, and storage.

Classification: The present invention relates to a new Vitis vinifera Grapevine.

Variety denomination: The new Grapevine plant has a varietal denomination ‘ARD44’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A breeding program was initiated during the late 1990's near Bakersfield in San Joaquin Valley of Central California. In 2016, during this breeding program, a new variety of Vitis vinifera was created by deliberate cross breeding of two parent plants by emasculation of the pollen bearing organ of the female and introducing pollen from another male origin. The female parent of the new variety was 81E-39+5, which is an early and crispy seedless white table grape variety (non-patented in the United States). The male parent (i.e. the pollen parent) of the new variety was 8A-35+1, a very fertile and juicy seedless red variety (non-patented in the United States).

TABLE 1 ‘ARD44’ compared with parents & closely related variety: Thompson ‘ARD44’ 81E-39+5 8A-35+1 Seedless Berry shape Obtuse ovoid Globose Globose Oblong Berry Very good Good Very good Medium attachment Flavor Muscat Natural Light Muscat Sweet sweet

The parentage of the new variety can be summarized as follows: 81E-39+5 X 8A-35+1

An artificial pollination was created, and the result was an embryo which possessed unique genetic qualities. The rudiments resulting from the above pollination were embryo rescued.

In 2017 the plant was transplanted to Bakersfield in San Joaquin Valley of Central California.

It was found that the new grapevine of the present invention possesses the following combination of characteristics:

-   -   (a) Forms attractive crunchy seedless berries with a green skin         coloration; in medium density and medium clusters which display         a Muscat flavor,     -   (b) Commonly bears fruit during the month of July in the San         Joaquin Valley of Central California, U.S.A., and     -   (c) Bears fruit that is firm and is well amenable for storage,         handling, and shipping.     -   (d) Produces 44 bunches per vine, and an average of about 1         bunch per shoot, at a total of 79 lbs. fruit per vine.

The new variety during observation to date has displayed no visible disease, and has displayed an ability to well resist cold, drought, heat; but sensitive to direct exposure to sun and wind. The fruit of the new variety has been found to display excellent handling and shipping qualities combined with desirable dessert eating qualities.

The new variety of the present invention has been found to undergo asexual propagation beginning in 2018 near Bakersfield in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California, U.S.A. by bud grafting on mature Thompson seedless rootstock (non-patented in the United States). Such asexual propagation has been conducted thereafter in successive years to date and has shown that the characteristics of the new variety are strictly transmissible from one generation to another. Accordingly, the new variety undergoes asexual propagation in a true to type manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new variety ‘ARD44’ is a green seedless table grape with high production, e.g., about 44 bunches per vine, and an average of about 1 bunch per shoot.

Asexual reproduction by micro propagation of the new variety as performed near Bakersfield, Calif., U.S.A., shows that the forgoing and other distinguishing characteristics come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying photographic illustration shows typical six-year-old specimens of the new variety, vegetatively propagated, in color as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make in a color illustration of this character. Colors in the photograph may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description below, which accurately describes the colors of the new Grapevine.

FIG. 1 shows leaves, stems, tendrils, and grapes of ‘ARD44’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of colors is The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY (3^(rd) Edition). The description is based on the observation of plants growing on Thompson Seedless' rootstock outdoors near San Joaquin Valley of Central California, U.S.A.

TABLE 2 VINE CHARACTERISTICS: Vigor Vigorous upright shoots Productive capacity Bearing at a natural, average capacity. Spur pruning. Trunk Strong and developed. Diameter is 2.9 inches at 5.7 inches above ground. Rough with a fibrous, shaggy exterior. Light brown coloring - greyed orange 177D

-   Date of bud burst in Bakersfield Calif.: February 22^(nd).

TABLE 3 YOUNG SHOOT CHARACTERISTICS: Openness of tip Fully open Density of prostrate hairs on tip Dense Anthocyanin coloration of prostrate None hairs on tip Density of erect hairs on tip Dense

TABLE 4 YOUNG LEAF CHARACTERISTICS: Color of upper side of blade Yellow green 152A Color of lower side of blade Yellow green 152B Density of erect hairs between main Absent or very sparse veins on upper side of blade Density of erect hairs between main Absent or very sparse veins on lower side of blade Density of prostrate hairs on main Sparse veins on upper side of blade Density of prostrate hairs on main Sparse veins on lower side of blade

TABLE 5 SHOOT CHARACTERISTICS: Attitude (before tying) Erect Color of dorsal side of internodes Yellow green 144A Color of ventral side of internodes Yellow green 144B Color of dorsal side of nodes Yellow green 144A Color of ventral side of nodes Yellow green 144A Density of erect hairs on internodes Medium Density of prostrate hairs on Medium internodes Length of tendrils 5.6 inches Diameter of tendrils 0.1 inches Color of tendrils Yellow green 152B Number of tendrils at bloom 3 Positioning of first flowering and The first bunch is in the 3rd node fruiting node Inflorescence number per flowering 1 shoot

TABLE 6 FLOWER CHARACTERISTICS: Reproductive organs Fully developed stamens and fully developed gynoecium Flower length 0.26 inches Flower diameter 0.2 inches Pistil length 0.13 inches Pistil color Yellow green 144A Pollen Amount Rich Pollen color Yellow 7A Stamen color Yellow green 144C Stamen length 0.14 inches Number of stamen 5

-   First bloom in Bakersfield, Calif.: April 30^(th). -   Date of full bloom in Bakersfield, Calif.: May 4^(th).

TABLE 7 MATURE LEAF CHARACTERISTICS: Size of blade 5.7 × 5.3 inches Shape of blade Wedge-shaped Base descriptors Wedge-shaped Leaf margin Serrate Leaf apex Acute Blistering of upper side of blade Absent or very sparse Depth of upper lateral sinuses Shallow Number of lobes Five (Only varieties with lobed leaves) Closed Arrangement of lobes of upper lateral sinuses Arrangement of lobes of petiole Wide open sinus Length of teeth 0.37 inches Ratio length/width of teeth Large Shape of teeth Mixture of both sides straight and both sides convex Density of prostrate hairs between Absent or very sparse main veins on lower side of blade Density of erect hairs on main veins Absent or very sparse on lower side of blade Density of erect hairs between the Strong (Red purple 58A) main veins on upper side of blade Density of prostrate hairs on main Absent or very sparse veins on upper side of blade Length of petiole compared to length Equal of middle vein Top side color Green 137B Bottom side color Yellow green 147B Texture of upper side of blade Smooth Texture of lower side of blade Rough Vein color on upper blade Yellow green 146C Vein color on lower blade Yellow green 145C Venation pattern for upper blade Netlike venation Venation patten for lower blade Netlike venation Petiole length 3.3 inches Petiole diameter 0.1 inches Petiole color Yellow green 146D Petiole texture Smooth Mature leaf anthocyanin coloration Absent of main veins upper surface

-   Date of beginning of berry ripening in Bakersfield Calif.: July     7^(th).

TABLE 8 BUNCH CHARACTERISTICS: Size (peduncle excluded) Medium Density of berries on bunch Medium Bunch length 9.8 inches Bunch diameter 7.7 inches Length of peduncle of primary bunch 3 inches Diameter of peduncle of primary 0.2 inches bunch Peduncle of primary bunch color Yellow green 144C Peduncle texture Rough Bunches per vine 44 Average bunch weight 1.8 lbs

TABLE 9 BERRY CHARACTERISTICS: Size Medium Length 0.9 inches Weight 0.2 oz Diameter 0.8 inches Shape Obtuse ovoid Color of skin (without bloom) Yellow green 150B Flesh color Yellow green 145D Brix 24.1 Titratable acidity percentage 0.4% Juice 4.24 pH Ease of detachment from pedicel Moderately easy Thickness of skin Thin Anthocyanin coloration of flesh None Firmness of flesh Moderately firm Particular flavor Muscat Formation of seeds None Berries per bunch 135 Juiciness of Berry Flesh Juicy

TABLE 10 PEDICEL CHARACTERISTICS: Length 0.34 inches Diameter 0.06 inches Color Yellow green 144C Pedicel texture Rough

TABLE 11 WOODY SHOOT CHARACTERISTICS: Woody shoot texture Smooth Woody shoot color Greyed orange 165A Woody shoot length 180 inches Diameter 0.4 inches Internode length 5.85 inches

-   Market use of observed plants: Fresh market. -   Age and growing conditions: Six years growing under Y system in     South Joaquin Valley (hot, dry summers). -   Shipping characteristics: Fruit was in cold storage. Stored in poly     bags inside polystyrene boxes with sulfur pads. After 60 Days:     rachises were 50% green; 0% berry shattering; no berry wrinkling or     cracks were apparent. -   DNA profile: To further the characterize the new variety DNA was     extracted from plant samples and a DNA profile was obtained at     California Seed & Plant Lab, California USA using base pairs for 10     standard microsatellite DNA markers. The data is presented     hereafter.

TABLE 12 DNA profile for ‘ARD44’ Microsatellite DNA Marker Allele Sizes in Base Pairs M 1 228 238 M 2 239 249 M 3 179 194 M 4 210 212 M 5 257 273 M 6 135 149 M 7 189 205 M 8 255 257 M 9 212 214  M 10 247 247

The ‘ARD44’ variety has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotypic expression may vary somewhat with changes in light intensity and duration, cultural practices, and other environmental conditions.

Additional information relating to plant and fruit disease and pest resistance or susceptibility has not been observed to date. Specification of the plant hardiness zone and the heat/cold resistance has not been observed to date. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct grapevine plant, botanically known as Vitis vinifera, identified as ‘ARD44’, substantially as shown and described herein. 